Compare your GS to other bikes for people considering something new

[drduimstra]

I was thinking that too Im eying a 08 cbr600rr

[tt_four]

I did a super long write up on the xb9s last night, but it's not here. I think I must've hit preview to proofread it, and forgot to hit submit. That sucks. Guess I'll try again later.

[Homer]

That does suck.  
Got that thing titled and everything by now, right?  

Edit:
I'm a fan of this Beemer:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=585668
http://www.webbikeworld.com/BMW-motorcycles/bmw-g650-x-series.htm
53 HP, 44 ft-lbs, 326 lbs dry, on-demand ABS, liquid cooled, fuel injected, centrally located fuel tank, high ground clearance, etc, etc.
The bad:
2.1 gallon tank (but 155 mile range) and $$. 

[Madbones]

Well a while back i sold my GS one of many bikes we have. Still have a K8 that ive sprayed in 2pk black with a solo cowl- if i can find a pic ill put it up. Heres my latest.

[CliffHanger]

Just got off of a Trumph Bonneville test ride.

I thought I would collect my thoughts here for everyone.
This is the basic Bonneville, with 17" cast wheels, no Tach, no accessories.

Ergos: Seat height is pretty low since this is essentially a Brit cruiser, significantly lower than the GS.  Seat to peg distance is also greater, I felt like I was going to grind the pegs constantly.  Bars are comfortably positioned and the rider is very nearly upright.
It would certainly be comfortable for long term trips and the saddle is both firm and supportive.
I believe that the bar to seat is roughly the same as the stock GS, though I have now switched my bars to superbike's so it has been a while since I had the old ones.

Engine/Gearing: EFI fueled 865cc parallel twin is definately tuned for low rpm torque.  Bogging it to 2000 rpm or so (no tach) posed no problems.  First gear is low for better pull off the line, upper gears are well spaced for cruising about.  Official numbers are 66HP and 50 ft*lbs torque.  Seat-of-the-pants felt good with a solid launch off the line and able to cruise along without twisting your wrist off constantly.  Engine braking was alot less than the GS probably due to the low compression engine design.

Handling/Braking:  The cruiser position left the handling vague and uninspiring.  Turning into a corner was less intuitive than the GS, though I am willing to implicate my lack of experience with the geometry of this machine.
Brakes were adequate, about the same as the GS.  Maybe a bit more lever travel before the pads started to bite than the GS.  Maybe just needed adjustment.

Overall:  The Triumph Bonneville is not a bad machine for someone looking for a more relaxed/cruiser style motorcycle without going all (H-D) hog wild.  Comfortable, good-looking retro-styled machine that is able to cruise around town and out all day.  However, for sportier looks or stance consider the Thruxton.  (Note: appearance and riding position only!  Still the same engine!)

I think that for me, the Triumph Thruxton might be the better option.  Same engine, sportier position, and taller seating and pegs.
However, for me performance is NOT the most important element.  Decent torque to move my wife and I, and a mellow cruising rpm, are all I need.  Add on the beautiful, head-tuning retro style and I think I have found my next bike. 

Oh, and there are tons of pricey aftermarket widgets for the Triumph retro line to polish off your image of the perfect bike.

Feel free to ask me anything I may have forgotten to mention.
CliffHanger

[tt_four]

EDIT: I cut this down. Believe it or not this is about 1/3rd the length of the original write up. I don't have the energy to write it again, I don't wanna leave anything important out.

This thread has been dead since July, but I'm bored out of my mind at work and never get to ride anymore, so I figured I'd add something. I already wrote a huge writeup on my XB, but then I lost the whole thing when I tried to post it. Very dissapointing.

Anyway, 2003 XB9. Picked it up in June with 3400 miles, has about 6800 on it.

Details:

385lbs dry
92hp @7200rpm
68ft.lbs @ 5500rpm

Size: This one is kind of tough, because my GS has a tail swap so I'm not 100% sure on where the stock seat height would be. The Buell XBs also come in a variety of sizes. Lightnings have 3 different suspension lengths depending on which model you pick, and there are also 3 seat heights. There's a pretty big range of heights you can get. I'm 5'8 and at the lowest I could get both feet flat on the ground and still have some bend in my knees. Even at the normal height suspension and the tall seat I can get both feet on the ground, just not flat. There are also 2 different peg heights between the lightning and firebolt models and both are interchangeable, and pretty cheap to buy used. Between all those factors you can pretty much get the bike set up any way you want.

Front of the seat to the center of the handlebar clamp on the XB is 5 inches shorter than on the GS. Pretty huge difference. It was weird the first time I tried to grab the bars, but it's definitely comfortable for around town. When I get back on the GS it feels like I'm super stretched out for a couple miles until I get used to the feel again.

Over all the bike is pretty tiny for being 984cc, the 1203 version has all the same physical dimensions. People usually think it's a 500cc bike when they see it, so it's definitely one of the less intimidating bikes to try to handle, and it definitely feel smaller than my GS500

Power: As you can see from the numbers above, it's got pretty low HP for a 1000cc bike, but the torque number is huge. The motor doesn't have the top end punch that makes you feel like you may die when the rpms rise, but in trade you don't have to deal with that soft bottom end that most inline 4s have. I have literally come out of a turn at idle on the XB and it just pulled me out of the turn. There's no way that would happen on the GS. Stop light to stop light is very easy on the bike, and it lets you ride back roads at a pretty decent pace without stressing the motor, which gives your rides a very smooth and controlled feel. The ECMs are also reprogrammable with a $30-40 cable you can get online, and all you have to do is download the ECM program and a new fuel map and you can update it. Much cleaner than pulling apart the carbs to install new jets and needles.

Suspension: I don't know a ton about suspensions. I don't really know how to set them up, or what they should feel like, so I can't elaborate too much on this one, but the suspension on the XB is definitely nice. One thing that usually sucks about naked bikes is the cheap suspension. This is one of the few bikes that has always come with USD forks and a fully adjustable suspension. I still have mine set on the factory recommendation for my weight. I started off with the lower SCG suspension, which is an inch and a half lower than stock. After about 4 months I finally collected all the parts to lift my bike up to normal and it definitely made the ride better. The only time the short suspension really bothered me was a few miles of the highway heading out of the city. The whole strip was just rough and I'd try to ride the whole thing with barely any weight on my seat. It's great for keeping the center of gravity low, and keeping the seat height low, but the regular suspension definitely smooths things out a bit and made me a lot more comfortable on back roads because I wasn't as concerned about every pot hole or crack in the road anymore. I have progressive springs and thicker oil in the GS forks and I only weigh 145lbs, and it's still too soft.

Taller suspension also makes the front wheel a bit lighter  



Finish/cosmetic: Definitely a big different between the bikes here. If you look at the subframe on the GS you can definitely tell some 16 year old got paid (3rd world)minimum wage to weld it. Everything on the XB is clean from the welds, to the brackets, and just the way everything was set up. There was definitely a lot of thought put into the details of the bike. Again, it's super rare to see a naked bike actually built with some respect. I love the clean lines of the bike too. Newer bikes just look more and more complicated every year. Everything is sharp angles, flashy graphics, recessed headlights, randomly shaped air ducts. It's very busy. The XB just has a very simple look to it, large frame down the center straight into the swingarm, even the motor looks very clean for an air cooled twin. One of my favorite parts is how they used the motor, chin fairing, header, oil cooler, and air duct to make a perfect curve behind the front wheel, even though all the parts they used are straight. One thing I don't like about some naked bikes is that big gap behind the front wheel, but I think this one is filled perfectly...



Also, I love the belt drive. It's perfectly silent, and I haven't had to think about lubing a chain once since I got it. The motor also has self adjusting hydraulic valves. Aside from oil changes and tire pressure, it's literally one of the easiest motorcycles to maintain ever.

I love how easy it is to change the color of the bike. My bike started out yellow, I traded some guy for black, and then later picked up some spare red parts. I can change the color of my bike in about 5-10 minutes, which is definitely a plus. Someday I'll get the transparent blue, and hopefully a spare set to paint candy apple green. Since the gas is in the frame, it's just the air filter under what would normally be the tank, so you can pick up some clear pieces too and see straight through them to the air filter. Not something you see every day

One downside is that the stock exhaust used to blow air onto my left boot when I'd have my foot down at a red light. Eventually I got used to it and just move my foot further forward, or put my right foot down. Not a big issue, but worth bringing up.

Handling: Almost forgot this section! It's probably the most important too. The wheelbase on the XB is 52 inches, most bikes have a wheelbase closer to 55 inches. I can make U-turns like nobodies business, so it's great for riding around the city. Bike did a review and rated the top 50 best handling bikes and the firebolt made it to #1
http://www.buellmotards.com/buell/web/admin/BikeTop50.pdf
The lightning got #8, but the only difference between the way to 2 handle is the clipons vs handlebars, so that's pretty good.

The GS has super light handling. It's great for how easy it is to just throw the handlebars around, whether it's turn onto a side street, or just tight twisty roads the handling just feels very easy. The XB has that standard feel of bigger bikes with 180 rear tires, where it does like to go straight. As a whole, the whole biks is still super easy to toss around because of how short the wheelbase is, and how small the whole bike is. The front end is super steep too. It's not really a bike I'd want to be going 150mph on, but I don't really feel the need to go 100mph either. The handling of this bike is what makes up for the 92hp. Even with only 2/3rds of the power of most 1000cc bikes, it can still outrun most of them on back roads, around town, parking lots, anywhere but the highway for the same reasons that the GS will.

Worth mentioning: The bike shakes, a lot. I wasn't sure about it the first day or two, but after the 2nd or 3rd day I didn't even notice anymore. I've ridden I4s since, and they're so smooth you can barely even tell the bike is running. It's a weird feeling. I think it fits the bike well, it's a pretty raw feeling when you get on the gas and really feel the engine spinning. After riding the bike for 6 months, I wouldn't have it any other way. Once you're riding and the rpms are over 2500 rpm or so it smooths out a lot. Still not I4 smooth, but I've never had any issued whatsoever with handlebar vibrations making my hands numb, and my mirrors are always perfectly clear. The only real indicator is my turn signals shaking at idle, but I need to replace those with some smaller ones anyway.

Original color...



Side by side. The XB is a couple feet closer to you and it still looks smaller than the GS...



My favorite look with the transparent red bodywork...

[mike__R]

1st bike - '01 SV650S

2nd bike - '81 CM400C

3rd bike - '75 CL360

4th bike - '08 VTX1800F

5th bike - '95 (about to go on an '00 frame) GS500E (also will be turned into an "F")

Anbody wants to know about any of these feel free to ask.  The SV650S is a freakin blast, probably my favorite to ride out of the bunch.  The VTX is the most comfortable (Pending the GS which I have barely ridden before my GF got hit on it).  The CL gets the most comments.

[ChemDog]

Ive always been in love with the naked bike look.  Hence the reason the GS aapealed to me so much (that and the price).  When I upgrade I will probably go with either the Triumph Spped Triple or the Ducati Monster Dark.   

[The Buddha]

I have had 45 bikes, over 17 of those have been GS'es, there have been maybe 15 unique models of bikes.
A GS is by far the first bike I would buy and if I am to only have 1 bike - the shock, the horror, it would be a GS. To be precise an 89 with the clip on's.

However its not a bike for everyone. If I didn't have lower back pain as a primary concern or if I had upper back/wrist pain, my choice would be a cruiser and I'd fall in between a savage and a 84-89 maxim 700.

IMHO, the maxim 700 is the bike I'd buy if I had longer trips in mind instead of commute commute commute.

If I was into serious modding - like bobbing and chopping - my choice would probably be an xs650. Though a savage also mods that way quite easy.

Cool.
Buddha.

[tt_four]

I remembered there were a few writeups in Madjak's thread, so I'm gonna copy and paste them here...

Ok. Today's test ride was of a Green Street Triple (675cc - Striple) and a Black Speed Triple (1055cc - S3) as pictured...



I started on the Striple, rode a route lap, stopped, then got on the S3. And here's my Impressions...

Street Triple (675cc)
Acceleration is sweet and there is plenty on tap. Twist the throttle, enjoy the three cylinder sound and hang on. This baby can go. Not as flickable as the GS - of course, I am used to the GS. The throttle had a dead spot - come off the throttle all together, then come on slow and there is nothing, nothing, nothing and then Bam a small surge. This is NOT good IMO. Imagine this leaned over mid turn.

The other noticeable thing was the heat coming up through the seat from the exhaust. I had only heard about this as a passing comment on another board the night before the ride and had forgotten about it. Forgotten until my butt started getting warm. Not something you'd enjoy in summer commuting in traffic. Not something I imagined would be enjoyable on a 60 - 90 minute ride somewhere.

Comfort wise I prefer the GS. The Striple was alright. But so are a lot of other bikes.

Speed Triple (1055cc)
This has after-market exhausts on it and two sets of oggy knobs which my knees where hitting. The cans sounded fine, throaty. The main thing I noticed on this was the seating angle. My feet were somewhat beneath me as you might expect from a supersport, for example, but the riding position is more upright - hard to explain. The result is, you either relax and your weight goes on the handlebars - or - you hold yourself up which makes it uncomfortable for the boys and strains your hip flexors (a stress position). After 15 minutes this was really starting to be annoying - the salesman said "you'll get used to it" (humph, anything to make a sale).  Oh, yeah, it could also take off with a throttle twist. No Heat issues though.

Of the two I preferred the Striple. But the price? Screw that!

The S3 was an 06 asking $10,800 - I can buy a Brand New Bandit 1250 for less ($10,490). The Striple was a demo model 09 and asking $12,400. Phhhttt to that price too. (These are Australian Dollar Prices)

They were ok to ride, don't get me wrong. But in all honesty, I would rather ride a Kawasaki  Z750 or Honda CB900 (919), get nearly the same throttle response, have no deadspot or hot butt issues, and only cost almost half as much moolah. Which = Better Value, IMO. Frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about these triples. But am glad I had the opportunity to ride them, to satisfy the curiosity.

Michael

[tt_four]

I am going to try to right a little review in similar vein to Mister's recent adventures.

Well I went with Mister to one of his test rides yesterday while he tested out a 900 hornet and the Z750. Not wanting to sit around the shop waiting I thought I would take a Ducati 900 Monster for a test run with him. Now I have always had a soft spot for them and secretly admired these bikes. Who here doesn't swing their head around when they here one coming down the street.

This was a 93 model so it would have been one of the first produced but it was imported into Australia via Japan and still had low k's on it. (Import bikes always have their shady side with speedos being swapped but in Japan it is known to have lots of early model bikes with low klms due to registering issues over there) The bike was completely stock, a little weathered but in good condition in Ducati red.

I had to follow Mister and the salesman on the test ride and first thing I noticed was how tall the gearing was. I did not get out of 2nd gear in the city where the limit was 60kms/h (35mph) and I had to take corners in 1st as the bike began to want go around the corner faster than you wanted in 2nd. This model only had a 5 speed gear box so I was not sure if I was just used to the GS's 6 speed or what. I know it didn't like to follow the other bikes. It wanted to be leader of the pack and just wanted to go!

It had beautiful smooth acceleration when you eased the throttle on and when you gave it a punch it responded like lightning and the sound of the V twin sounded like a small block v8. At one point entering the the highway from an on ramp a quick fistful of throttle and I was doing 150kms/h in an instant with a big stupid grin on my face.  

Riding position was very upright and the seat was comfy. I found my legs hugged the tank nicely although Mister sat on the bike and found his legs rested on the slight fold in the tank even though we are the same height.

It cornered and handle like it was on rails but not as nimble as the GS. I also did find it liked to follow the ruts in the road which got a little annoying at times. It only really started doing this on the road back to the dealer so it must have just been that road.

Other annoying things I found other than the tall gearing of the bike was the clutch and the gear box. I have heard this is a common bug with Ducatis though which is it finds a false neutral if you don't knock the gears up or down hard enough. When you let the clutch out from take off it slipped a little if you didn't give it enough revs and the clutch did not like to be ridden. I do not know if this was due to the fact Ducatis have dry clutches or if was the age of the bike. Also there was vibration at high revs. Not bad vibes but they were there.  But I should not really pick on that due to it being a twin. I could not see myself ever commuting on one of these as it is a bit of a pig in traffic but on the open road it comes into it's own.

I have heard people say that these bikes are under powered and over rated. Maybe so if you ride super sports but the torque, sound and the look makes this bike what it is. My summary of the bike is a positive one and I can easily see why riders fall head over heels in love with these. I think I may have  

(This is the actual bike I rode) -


[/quote]

[tt_four]

I took one of these for a spin today...

Kawasaki Z750, 2010 model


First, the negatives...

- Seat was hard. Not hard like a board. And I thought, I wonder if it would soften with use and getting used to it. I felt it mostly in the rear of my butt. And when I got off I pushed the seat's padding and noticed the Least amount of padding was where I felt it and there was something Hard under it, like an Edge to the seat shape or something. I can't imagine what an hour would feel like - but like I said, the foam may soften with use.

- Cornering Reluctance. Okay, this is really subjective and in comparison only. So only compared to another bike - in this case the Honda 919 I just hopped off. This isn't to say the bike doesn't corner. It does, and sweetly, just that it needed a little more work than the Honda. Maybe partly due to the reduced fork rake and maybe due to the 190 tire on the Z750 compared to the 180 on the 919.

- Clunky Gear Changes. Again, this is in comparison. Cause really, it changes nice, but not as nice as the 919 did.

- Soft front brakes. This is NOT a fault of the bike but of the brakes being set up wrong.

Positives...

- Smooth acceleration. With the 919, a twist of the throttle Lurches you forward. With the Z750 a twist send you forward in a smoother fashion with less sudden lurch. Don't get me wrong, this bike Can accelerate like nobody's business. It just does it smoother. And the engine does Not sound like it is straining even as the revs climb. Rather, the engine sounds welcoming of it. So overall, if you're mid bend and come on the throttle you won't suddenly lurch.

- No deadspot in the EFI. When you come off the throttle and then Slowly come back on, the pick up is instant. It's doesn't leave you hanging and then Suddenly BAM, a punch of fuel.

- Ease of acceleration. While not as torquey as the 919, it ain't not slouch in the acceleration department.

The riding position is Upright and you are Closer to the front of the bike than on the GS. So as you go into corners you feel kind of extra upright even if you're not really. So any sense of leaning closer to the tank feels... it doesn't feel odd but the mental impression is different, almost as if leaning forward would put you way over the tank - this is me, being 6"2 so a shorter person with a shorter body would feel different about it. And this is a first impression. Obviously this would be gotten used to.

The mirrors did not vibrate. Nothing on the bike vibrated. As I said to the salesman when I got off and he asked what I thought... man, I cannot believe how smooth that bike is.

Now, this bike has a pillion seat. But you really wouldn't take a pillion. The GS500 is 2080mm in length, the Z750 is 2096mm... only 16mm longer. Wheelbase is 1405mm for the GS and 1440mm for the Z750. So dimensionally it's similar to the GS..

The only negative thing I've heard about the bike is, the forks have one spring and one dampener. But I cannot recall if this is for a certain model or how they all are.

So for those who may be thinking of getting an SV650 or some other 600CC+ class bike, take the Z750 for a spin, you just might like it. I really had no interest but my mechanic said to take one for a spin and I am glad I did.

Michael

[tt_four]

I ended up riding four different bikes today. So in the order of riding them...

Suzuki SV650s


The first thing you notice when you mount the SV650 is the forward lean needed to reach the handlebars. While someone looking from the side might not think you are leaning forward too much, compared to the GS the lean is substantial - at least it was on the bike I rode.

Taking off, even at slow speed, you can feel the torqueiness of the engine. And giving an extra throttle twist sees the bike pull ahead nicely without sounding strained. The sound was throaty. The handlebar buzz from the Vtwin was not that great. It was there and maybe might play an issue after an hour in the seat at highway speed, but otherwise not too bad and something I'd assume you'd get used to easily. The upper body lean would be no good for those with a weaker core strength. I managed alright for the 15 or so minutes I was on the bike. But otherwise I found it a little annoying.

The worst part for me, though, was the bumpiness of the ride. Bumps the GS seems to absorb were readily transfered to me on the SV650s. That took confidence away from me and a few bends I bounced around. Big negative for me. maybe it was the way this particular bike was set up and another, different, SV650 would be different.

Suzuki Bandit 1250s (I wanted to ride the Naked but they didn't have one).


Hopping off the SV650s onto the Bandit the more upright riding position stands out. The height at which you seemed to be above the dials and road was also noticeable. The stock bike was quieter. But the power... oh my... so smooth and effortless. Even if you were in the wrong gear like one gear too high, the engine just pulled you right out without a hint of struggling. And the ride was supremely comfortable. The only two Issues I had with the bike were...

Cornering: While the bike does corner well and there is no sudden Drop into a corner, it felt somewhat reluctant compared to the SV650s and the GS. I put this down to the longer wheelbase and is something that would be quickly gotten used to.

Seat: The seat seemed to be angled ever so slightly towards the tank. And I felt as if I was sliding into the tank. Of course, this may hint I should have been sitting closer to the tank - and I probably should have - but it was something I noticed and something I got used to in the brief time I spent on the bike.

Yamaha FZ6


This bike was an unintended ride. The bike I wanted to ride was not there. So took this for a spin instead.

First impression is how upright the seating is. I was expecting to lean forward much more than I did.

Following this... the first real corner I took on this bike I felt something not right. As if the front dug in a little or the back slid out! Either way, it took away all confidence I had in the bike to lean without doing something odd. As the ride continued this oddness in a lean disappeared and I figured it was inadequate tire pressure.

The engine sounded ok as the throttle was twisted. But while it sounded like it was working - and it was cause it needed to be revved to work - it seemed to be doing it harder than the SV650. That is, a quick burst on the throttle was more effective on the SV650 than the FZ6. Of course, maybe I wasn't working the FZ6 enough. In which case, this simply shows a lack of torque compared to the SV650.

I also noticed, that coming on to the throttle after being off, was a dead spot where there was nothing and then, suddenly, there was something. Not good when coming onto the throttle in a corner you may have come off the throttle on. Sure, ideally, we should always have some throttle, in an ideal world. But there are times when we don't. And expecting some driving force, not getting it, and then getting it suddenly, isn't too safe in my books.

Honda CB900 (Honda 919) Hornet


Hoping on the Hornet I felt at home. Nothing felt odd about the riding position or peg position. The throttle response was smooth like the bandit. But unlike the bandit, this thing leant into corners effortlessly, just like the GS. In fact, if you set out to make a more powerful GS500, I would have to say the result would be the Honda 919.

Conclusion...

All bikes had mirrors that remained vibration free. All bikes, when the mirrors were set correctly, gave adequate vision. In order of...

Cornering Preference (feel as it cornered - naturalness, stability, etc. - while the SV650 felt easier to lean, it also felt less stable on the road)

1 - Honda 919 (CB900 Hornet)
2 - Suzuki Bandit 1250s
3 - Suzuki SV650s
4 - Yamaha FZ6 (even though this did not Bounce around corners and took them Smoother, it is last cause of the squirliness I felt on the first corner, other FZ6's might be different)

Comfort Preference

1 - Honda 919
2 - Bandit 1250s
3 - FZ6
4 - SV650s

Power / Feel of Power / Smoothness of Power

1 - Bandit 1250s (the Honda would be equal first on smoothness and feel, but, obviously, it is smaller than a 1250 so has less of it. But how often do you do 125mph / 200kph?)
2 - Honda 919
3 - SV650
4 - FZ6

Conclusion Preference (which would I buy)

1 - Honda 919
2 - Bandit 1250s
3 - FZ6
4 - SV650 (if the suspension could be softened and the handlebars raised and brought back then this would move to position 3, but as comfort is paramount it drops to position 4)

My Experience At The Dealers...

Dealer 1 - SV650 and Bandit 1250s
Pleasant. No sales pressure. Talked like a normal guy. Even said at the end before I had a chance to say anything... when you're ready to buy, give me a call... and handed me his business card. Never asked how much I had to spend or any of those typical Qualifying questions - when are you looking to buy, what do you have to trade, etc.

Dealer 2 - FZ6
Had originally gone there to ride a Honda 919 they Said they had. On the phone had even suggested to put a Holding Deposit on it Subject To Satisfactory Test Ride. Oh yeah, that ain't highpressure selling. After a couple more textbook selling tricks I said... listen, stop with the sales tricks they told you at bike selling school, ok, and let's just go for a ride and talk like normal people... at which point he became more normal. He tried a couple tricks again later and I told him to stop with the sales pressure techniques and he went normal again. Overall, though, a negative vibe.

Dealer 3 - Honda 919
Salesgirl took me for the test ride. She rode a Ninja 250 cause that's all she had a license for. She was NOT going to go on the highway even though they are right next to it, and was just going to ride around the block. I said I wanted to go on the highway. We did... for about 500 yards (sheesh). Admitedly, she has only been at the dealer for 2 weeks. And she just about committed the biggest sales sin going.... not getting my phone number   But overall, a pleasant test ride experience - ride should have been longer, but from a salesman / customer POV, no bad vibes, no high pressure. Though she wore no gear bar a helmet WTF?

If you have any questions about any of these bikes that I haven't covered here, please ask.

Michael

[mister]

Thank you, TT. I think they are better suited in this thread.

I'll also add a more indepth write up of the Honda Hornet 900 (Honda 919) once I've finished writing it.

Michael

[yurtinus]

I was hoping this thread would get resurrected! Like many folks, I picked up a GS500 as a first bike - fresh off the MSF course. Ultimately though my passion leans toward dual sport and adventure riding (through no fault of my Airhead riding stepdad of course). So, I picked up a used GS... BMW F650GS. Obviously it's far more confidence inspiring on the fire roads, and the racks and baggage were are far easier to put loads on than my bags on the GS500F. More power, more upright seating, and a more comfortable seat make it a better overall freeway commuter for me.

BUT

Switching back for a quick ride on the GS500, I definitely miss how smooth the parallel twin is compared to the thumper, and the low-speed maneuverability puts the (not that much bigger) BMW to shame. I'm still torn on whether or not to sell my little Suzuki. I ride the 650GS for a time and think "yeah, I'm good with this one" then I hop on the GS500 and go "woah, this is just *fun*"

Decisions decisions!!

[ragecage23]

I've been waiting for a Triumph Daytona 675 review...

[SAFE-T]

The biggest handicap the GS500 has is it's lack of power. 44hp is only going to get you so far in terms of acceleration and carrying capacity. It's second problem area is the suspension, which like the engine is an older, more simple design and just not up to the task of more aggressive riding.

On the other hand, you can get a GS500 for cheap and it will give you up to 70+ mpg. I have ridden one all across the province, and through the mountains, except for having less leg room and less power, it was nearly as comfortable and pleasant to ride as my VFR800. It will go well in excess of the speed limit in terms of top speed, it just won't get there as fast as something more powerful.

The suspension is on the soft side, which gives it a cushy ride. Other people have noted other bikes seem to have a stiff suspension, but this is because they are set up for more aggressive riding to begin with than the GS500. This is something you just have to accept and be prepared for as the trade-off between squishy and sporty. My VFR800 has an Ohlins rear shock and forks, and I find it bumpy after getting off the GS until I get used to the firmer ride of the VFR.

You can get better compliance WITH performance but you to spend more money on things like cartridge emulators and/or aftermarket suspension. And there are lots of threads on changing suspension on the GS500 on this site using OEM parts from other bikes, which will give you better, but not GREAT suspension. Unless you adapt the new OEM parts on your GS with stuff like cartridge emulators, AK-20 cartridge kits, different springs, yadda yadda yadda. It's pretty endless up to a point where you have to ask yourself why you are trying to make your GS500 into a supersport when you could just sell it and buy one.

One of the greatest benefits of the GS500 compared to other bikes is the fact that Suzuki kept it mechanically the same since it's inception. It is also very light, with a lower seat height than some other bikes close to it's size. It also has a more upright riding position, which some people prefer. I think it is too upright and would put clip-ons on it, but that's me ~ I put lower bars on my VFR as well. The light weight makes it easy to ride in the city, but still capable of going coast-to-coast at a normal pace. The lower seat height makes it a good choice for people with a shorter inseam, which is not always related to their overall height. You will probably never have a problem finding new or used parts for your GS500.   

Other motorcycles that are liquid-cooled and/or have larger engines will have greater performance with less mechanical noise compared to the air-cooled parallel twin of the GS500. Different engine configurations produce different frequencies of vibration from the motor. If you are really used to your GS500, you may find other bikes feel like they have more vibration only because it is at a different frequency that on the GS. In some cases, the GS is just smoother overall compared to the competition. The 650Ninja and it's predecessors are a prime example of a bike that is superior in all areas to the GS except for the amount of buzziness at highway speeds. For whatever reason, the Kawi just has more vibration, period. My VFR feels like it has about the same 'amount' of vibration as the GS500, but it vibrates less in the bars and more in the pegs than the GS does so I call it a draw. 

Some engine configurations will make more linear power (Suzuki SV650, Aprilia Shiver, Ducati) with better midrange power. Other engines of the same displacement (Honda CBR600RR, Yamaha R6, etc) will make more power near their upper rpm range, but you have to be prepared to rev them out a little longer in each gear, which can get tiring after a while if you are just out for a leisurely ride. I had an FZR600 years ago that I had to rev the socks off of to keep up to a friend on his Honda GL1800 Gold Wing. I could have completely out-ridden him on a twisty road, but in stop-and-go traffic the Yamaha's 600cc inline four engine was no match for the Honda's 1800cc six cylinder opposed motor. The newest 600 supersport bikes may be able to keep up a little better since they make nearly 100% more horsepower than my FZR600 did, but for stop-and-go riding a v-twin (or v-four) would be less work overall.   

Lastly, heavier bikes sometimes have an advantage out on the open road. They feel more planted, and are affected a little bit less by wind gusts.

The Internet has really opened up a lot of information about various bikes such that you can find and compare reviews by journalists, ex-racers, joe citizen, etc on pretty much anything you might be interested in. It's great to no longer have to rely on just what the magazines and salespeople say.

[SAFE-T]

I've been waiting for a Triumph Daytona 675 review...

By far the best way to find out what a bike is really like ? Check out a forum for people who own one.

http://www.triumph675.net/

[tt_four]

By far the best way to find out what a bike is really like ? Check out a forum for people who own one.

http://www.triumph675.net/

The only downside to this is that you're going straight to a pretty biased group of people. They're all gonna tell you it's a great bike and you should buy it. There's also various opinions on whether something is light, heavy, top heavy, comfortable, pretty much anything because everyone expects something different from a bike. The nice thing about people writing on here is that it gives us a control because we all ride the same exact GS(minus a few random mods). It'll help people understand exactly what the differences are more than 'lighter and faster'.

Someone on here did buy a red 675, I remember seeing it. Maybe if you search the forum for 'daytona 675' you'll find a thread where he posted the picture of it then you could bug him to write up a description for us.

[ragecage23]

I've been waiting for a Triumph Daytona 675 review...

By far the best way to find out what a bike is really like ? Check out a forum for people who own one.

http://www.triumph675.net/

I already joined that forum and what it seems to me is that they're not much of a help. I've been waiting to test ride one, but the dealerships all say I'm too young (19 years old) so I guess I'll have to wait till I can walk in with some money to tell them that I'm close to buying to get to test ride one.